WO 01/66383 A1 discloses a steering wheel for motor vehicles having a device for activating an electric functional group of a motor vehicle, in which a contact element is mounted on an assembly of the skeleton of the steering wheel and the other contact element, lying opposite, is mounted on an assembly which can move with respect to the skeleton of the steering wheel. The contact element which is mounted on the movable assembly is spring-mounted and can therefore slide along the other contact element when it is depressed. Owing to the friction which is caused in this way, soiling is cleaned from the contact elements and/or a layer of oxide is removed from them.
The disadvantage of this device is that, as in other devices according to the prior art, the contact elements are divided in two since they are attached to the abovementioned different assemblies. For this reason, both assemblies must be matched to one another in an optimum way in order to bring about satisfactory functioning.
A further disadvantage is that, in order to bring about the sliding movement of the movable contact, said contact must be mounted in a complex way since, for example, a supporting device for the movable contact is necessary.